


Cold

by WolfAndHound_Archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, Humor, Post-Second War with Voldemort, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-18 13:56:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5930845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfAndHound_Archivist/pseuds/WolfAndHound_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valentine's Day</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Lassenia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Wolf and Hound](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Wolf_and_Hound), which was created to make stories posted to the Sirius_Black_and_Remus_Lupin Yahoo! mailing list easier to find. However, even though I still love the fandom, I am no longer active in it and do not have the time to maintain it. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in December 2015. I posted an announcement with Open Doors, but we may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on the [Wolf and Hound collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/wolfandhound/profile).

It was bloody cold, he realised. The sort of cold you can SMELL in the air, even through closed windows, drawn curtains, and the duvet pulled over your head.

He briefly battled with consciousness, then gave up and let himself drift awake. The bright winter sunlight shone in a straight, razor-sharp beam through the tiny crack where the curtains nearly met, and as the bedroom slowly came into focus, Remus snuggled closer to Sirius and put an arm across his waist, holding him tight and pressing kiss after lazy kiss to the back of his neck.

"Sirius? You awake?" he said in a husky, sleep-slurred murmur.

"Barely slept at all," was the gruff reply.

Sirius rolled over; Remus saw him clench his teeth hard against the bolt of pain that shot up his left leg when he moved it, and half-winced in sympathy.

"How does your ankle feel this morning?" he asked carefully.

Sirius grimaced. "Fucking awful. Have we got any of those Muggle pills left?"

Remus began to gently run his fingers through the long, silky-black hair of his grumbling lover, trying to calm him. "I don't think so," he said. "Didn't you have the last few yesterday?"

"It HURTS!"

"I KNOW it hurts, love," Remus said patiently, "but there's nothing we can do about it."

"What fucking use is medi-magic if people can only absorb so much of it?!"

"Stop behaving like a brat! You're alive, aren't you? The mediwizards saved your life. And besides, it's only a broken ankle. Muggles get them all the time, and have to wait for them to heal naturally."

"Well, Muggles aren't used to having broken bones mended instantly, are they?"

"Stop grousing. You sound like Snape." Remus threw the covers back and crossed the room, rubbing his goose-pimpled arms briskly as he searched out a couple of woolly jumpers and a pair of jeans to pull on over his shorts and t-shirt. He glanced at Sirius as he dressed; the dark-haired man was actually POUTING. He looked as though he was about to cry. Remus rolled his eyes. "Would you like a cup of tea?" he asked.

Sirius's voice was small. "Yes, please." He pulled the duvet up to his chin and huddled beneath it as he added, "And biscuits. And a bit of buttered toast."

Remus bit back his smile. "Don't push it, you. You're not a COMPLETE invalid."

"Awwww! Come on, just this once?"

"You've been saying that every morning for the last couple of weeks."

"I'd do it for you!"

"You would not. You'd tell me to stop behaving like a damn child."

"No I wouldn't! I would love you and take care of you and bring you the stars on a diamond plate if you asked for them!"

"You do talk some absolute rubbish at times." Remus smiled and tossed a jumper onto the bed. "Come on. Up, or I'm getting the hose."

~+~

The pages rustled as Sirius closed the newspaper, folded it, and slammed it down on the counter. It made the teaspoon rattle in his cup.

"Who have we lost this time?" Remus asked quietly.

"Katie Bell. She died in hospital last night."

Remus kept quiet. There was nothing to say. He'd said it all before when Ginny Weasley had died in the final battle, when they'd lost Dumbledore and Hagrid and Fletcher and more students than he could give names to.

"It doesn't seem fair," Sirius muttered. He lit a cigarette with shaking hands, and took a long drag. "To have got this far, only to die when we've won. It's the worst thing."

"I know." Remus got to his feet and went over to the counter, where Sirius was sitting with his cast dangling and tapping gently against the cupboard door every time he moved. He stood between his parted legs and cupped Sirius's jaw in his hand, kissing him gently. "War is never fair, but at least it's over now."

"And we're supposed to just deal with the losses?"

"What else can we do?"

Sirius shrugged his shoulders uneasily, and stubbed the half-smoked cigarette out. "There's something else too. Know what day it is?"

Remus put his arms around the other man's waist, and rested his head against his chest. "Saturday," he murmured.

"What DATE?"

"It's February 14th 1998."

"Uhuh. And so what day is it?" Sirius asked again.

"Valentine's."

"And?"

Remus hesitated and looked up. "James's thirty-eighth birthday," he said quietly.

"So what do you want to do? Take Harry to put flowers on the graves?"

"I don't know. It just seems a bit redundant all of a sudden." Remus pulled away and took the kettle to the sink so he could refill it. "So many new deaths, so many graves, and there doesn't seem to be enough flowers sometimes."

"New deaths don't mean we can forget the old ones!"

"I know that! I just thought that maybe Harry would appreciate something else. He has enough grave-visiting to do himself, without being dragged off by two old men to mourn the dead father he never knew."

"OLD?" Sirius yelled. "I'll give you old, you cheeky sod!" He jumped off the counter and immediately fell to the tiled floor, muttering curse words under his breath as he jarred his healing ankle.

Remus raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I found those pills, if you want them."

Sirius held out his hand. "Give me the whole damn box, Nurse Remus."

~+~

Throughout the day, owls flew back and forth between Hogwarts and the small house just to the north of Hogsmeade, and as the winter night darkened and the cold became more bitter than ever, three figures made their way into the Three Broomsticks pub and stamped the snow from their boots -- all but one, who winced and held onto the wall for support as he gingerly tapped his feet with his wand and muttered a heating charm to melt away the caked-on ice.

Harry took Sirius's arm and helped him across the room and into a seat. Remus followed, noticing with mild amusement that Sirius's ankle seemed a lot less painful when someone ELSE was looking after him. He took his seat between the other two, and smiled at Harry.

"So. How was your day?"

"Eh." Harry shrugged his shoulders, and kept his eyes on his finger as he traced it along the pattern of the woodgrain on the tabletop. "It was okay. No one died, which is good. And Ron's physiotherapy is going well. He's starting to get the feeling back in his arm now, and about time too, Madam Pomfrey said. She was getting worried. Skele-Gro should work overnight, but obviously... well, you know, with all the other magic in him, it just couldn't do anything."

"And Hermione? How is she?"

At that, Harry raised his eyes to Remus's and smiled broadly. "She's much better. Her sight's completely back in her right eye, and the left is just a little bit off. She doesn't care. She's borrowed an old pair of Percy's glasses and if you can believe it, she's sitting in the hospital all day reading up on all the work she missed!"

Sirius chuckled. "I can believe it. But... Harry, what about you? How are you doing?"

"Me?" Harry shrugged again, and smiled. "I'm fine. Dying for a drink, though. I'll go and get us some Butterbeers, shall I?" He headed off towards the bar, and Sirius shifted his chair across slightly so he could rest his head on Remus's shoulder.

There was a long silence. "All right?" Remus asked, eventually.

"Fine," Sirius muttered. "I'm just missing James a lot."

"Me too. Harry's so much like him. It's sort of..."

"Bittersweet."

"Right."

"What is?" Harry asked, from behind them. He edged around the table and slid onto the bench against the wall, grinning cheekily. "Rosmerta's dark chocolate sundaes? Because I ordered some. Hope you guys have your seasonal sweet teeth in."

Moments later, Rosmerta was over by the table, levitating a tray in front of her. She greeted the two older men with a flirty smile, then went back to the bar and left them alone.

Sirius stared at the sundae, and cautiously poked at the double-choc-chip ice cream with his long-handled spoon. It was topped with a cherry, which stopped right in front of his nose. "Are you crazy?!" he asked incredulously. "We'll never finish one of these each! One between us, maybe."

Harry was already digging into his. "Don't be soft," he said. The words were muffled around a mouthful of ice cream and whipped cream and blackcurrants and fudge sauce. "Ron and I managed two each one day, in one sitting." He glanced up at his godfather. "Feel up to it, or are you..."

Sirius glared. "Don't say it."

"...chicken?" Harry finished. He ate another spoonful and grinned as Sirius's face fell.

"Right, you smug little git," Sirius muttered, only half-joking. He shovelled ice cream into his mouth until his cheeks had bulged out like a hamster's, then squeezed his eyes shut and struggled to swallow.

"You'll give yourself a headache," Remus warned. He took a bite. "It's good, though."

"Trick is to eat it slowly," Harry said. "Doesn't matter who finishes first. Finishing these things AT ALL is an achievement."

Clamping a hand to his forehead, which suddenly felt as though it was being prised open down the middle, Sirius followed the advice and slowed down.

"So," Harry said. They looked at him, and his smile suddenly seemed nervous. "Thanks a lot for inviting me out with you," he said quietly. "I really needed to get away from there. I mean, it's one thing to be alone in some empty room at Hogwarts, but those walls are ALWAYS THERE. It just feels good to be somewhere else."

Remus smiled at him, and Sirius reached a hand over the table to press it briefly to Harry's. Nobody spoke for a moment, then Harry coughed to break the slightly awkward silence.

"You say it's my dad's birthday? Tell me about him," Harry said. "Tell me something I don't know about him."

"He was a David Cassidy fan," Remus said immediately.

Harry's eyes widened. "He was not!"

"True, I'm afraid," Sirius said, and Harry groaned into his hands. "He serenaded your mum one time with 'I Think I Love You'. We beat the crap out of him as soon as we got him alone, of course."

"Okay, then. Tell me something GOOD about my dad," Harry tried.

There was a long pause, then Remus said quietly, "When you were born, he took one look at you lying in Lily's arms and burst into tears. We thought he was going crazy. He sat down beside the bed sobbing, and we weren't sure whether to laugh, or cry with him. He was only nineteen, and your mum had just turned twenty."

Harry began poking at the tabletop again with his forefinger. "They were so young," he muttered. "Not much more than children themselves."

Sirius nodded. "That's what James said. He was bawling louder than you were, and so I sat beside him and hugged him and told him to shut up, it's bad enough that the kid has to go through life with its dad's ugly face, it didn't need to be covered in snot as well. He sort of half-laughed, but he kept saying things like, 'I can't do this. What do I know about babies? I'm going to be such a failure.'"

"Yes, but then you suddenly stopped crying, Harry, and I think James felt a bit stupid so he managed to calm himself too. He looked at you properly for the first time..."

"...and his eyes sort of lit up. Such a cliché, but it's true. One second he was wailing, and the next Lily had passed you to him and he was staring down at you like you were the most amazing thing he'd ever seen."

"Which you were."

"Yeah. He touched your head, and your little nose, and your hand, then he looked up at me and sniffed and said, 'This one, Sirius... look how strong he is. He's going to be the youngest Quidditch player in a century'."

Harry stared at him. "My dad said that?" he said, in a voice that was barely more than a whisper.

"Yes," Remus said, with amusement in his voice, "but then Lily glared at him and said she had more than enough worries with ONE of her boys risking his life on those gravity-defying contraptions of death."

"Yeah, and that she'd make sure you grew up to be Britain's top Herbologist."

"...Are you joking?"

Sirius grinned. "Perhaps. How much ice cream do you have left? I'm half-finished."

Harry quickly ate another couple of spoonfuls. "We're even. Okay, tell me more. You're famous for being great pranksters. Tell me about the best one you pulled."

"The time I...?" Sirius started, leaving the question unfinished but waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Remus snorted. "I don't think that's a good idea, Sirius."

"Oh?" Harry said. He sounded very interested. "What?"

"Harry, you do NOT want to know," Remus said. He bit his lip until his smile had disappeared. "Trust me. You do trust me, don't you?"

Harry looked at Sirius, who was actually GIGGLING like a little girl, then back to Remus. "Of course I trust you. But I want to know! I'm intrigued. What is it? Is it rude? About sex? I can handle it. Tell me!"

"It's about how your mum and dad got together at school," Sirius explained. He drained his glass. "The greatest prank of my life, with the best consequences."

"This was in our sixth year," Remus explained, "and we'd been studying Polyjuice Potion. Sirius and I were paired, and James was working with Peter. We kept our eye on them because Potions was Peter's weakest subject and he often ended up making something explode. James usually made things explode on purpose."

"James kept glancing across the room at Lily," Sirius went on. "We cornered him about it later but he wouldn't admit anything. Kept saying he'd been looking at the clock above her head..."

"Which he hadn't. Unless clocks made him salivate like a dog, that is."

"...and you know I don't like being lied to. We watched him for a week after that and noticed that whenever the lovely Miss Evans was within a hundred feet of our illustrious Quidditch Star, he forgot how to breathe and speak and think. It was so obvious."

"Sirius's getting-him-to-talk tactics involved shouting rude things across the common room, which, needless to say, did not work. So I tried to talk to him quietly one night in the dorm when Sirius and Peter were doing homework downstairs, but he just laughed nervously and said he didn't know what I was talking about."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Sirius said, grinning. "We formulated a Plan."

The capital letter was audible.

"A Plan, eh?" Harry said, sounding amused. "Keep going."

"Well," Sirius continued, "it was a lot more complex than this and involved weeks of careful, precise planning, but... well, basically..."

"Sirius used Polyjuice to become your mum, and did a lap-dance for James," Remus finished.

Harry burst out laughing. "You WHAT?!"

Sirius put his hand over his mouth, trying to keep his giggles down. "Oh, she was so mad when she found out..."

"Go back! Tell me what happened, exactly!"

"I borrowed some clothes from one of the other girls, I mean really great, slutty clothes, a black miniskirt and these fabulous boots that came up to my knees and a tiny little top, then I drank the potion, became Lily, and went into the common room."

"If James hadn't had his glasses on, I swear his eyes would have fallen right out of his head," Remus said. He was laughing now too. "He was reading in an armchair by the fire, and..."

"Hang on, where was Mum at this point?"

"The library, and Peter was stationed at the portrait in case she came back and needed to be kept away. Sirius came downstairs in these clothes that Lily would never have been seen DEAD in, and headed right for James."

"It was so funny," Sirius chuckled. "I was ACHING to laugh, but I managed to keep it all together. So, there I was in the common room..." He shoved his chair back and stood up, then began trying to walk seductively around the table, "...walking all sexy like this, only without the bloody cast, and I went up to him and started spouting all this shit about 'Ohh, Jamie, I've seen you watching me, I know you want me...'"

"Everybody knew it wasn't for real," Remus said, "because Peter and I were dying with laughter, and of course Lily would never have behaved like that anyway. But, I don't know, James seemed to believe it. He just SAT there with a look of total shock on his face, and Sirius was prancing about in front of him, then he told me to put on a record, and started to dance. That broke me. I had to cast a silencing spell on myself because I was laughing so much."

"Didn't you feel bad impersonating her like that?" Harry asked. He was smirking and trying not to. "I mean, that's a pretty awful thing..."

"Aw, well... afterwards I did, a little bit," Sirius said nonchalantly, "but Harry... the look on his face was priceless!"

"So, what happened? You turned into a girl and lapdanced for my dad... then what?"

"Then the potion wore off because he hadn't had much. He said..."

Sirius put on an exaggerated falsetto voice. "I'm going to powder my nose, Jamiieee... will you kiss me when I get back?" He fell into his seat and roared with laughter.

Remus finished the story. "So he disappeared out of the portrait, leaving James completely shell-shocked in that armchair. Lily came in a while later, and James just grabbed her wrist as she passed him, pulled her onto his lap, and kissed her." He hesitated, smiling. "Well, I say 'kiss'... it looked more like very heavy foreplay to me."

"Euw."

"Sorry, but you did want to know..."

"And... mum was kissing back?"

"Not at first, she just stared at him and tried to pull away. Then she... began to enjoy it, I think."

"And where were you all this time, Sirius?"

"Killing myself laughing in the corridor, and wondering where I was going to find clothes now I was a boy again! I had to go all the way to the Ravenclaw dorms dressed as a hooker and borrow robes from a friend. Then I went back to Gryffindor Tower, and everybody cheered when I came through the portrait. It was mad."

Harry's spoon was scraping the bottom of the glass. "YOU'RE mad," he said, as he licked away the last traces of fudge sauce. "And you talk too much. I win!"

"Well, I give up anyway," Sirius said, dropping his spoon back into his glass, where it sank slowly through the melting ice cream. "I'm stuffed. And what about you, Remus? You're being awfully quiet..." He leaned over and peered into Remus's glass. "Ha! Just as I thought! You've barely touched it, you wimp!"

Harry snorted. "Wimp? He could take you!" Sirius raised his eyebrows again, smirking, and Harry blushed. "I mean in a FIGHT. Aw, never mind." He stood up. "I suppose it's about time I got back to the castle," he said, somewhat apologetically. "Don't want to be out after curfew. Vanquishers of Evil can still get detention, you know."

"Okay," Sirius said, as he awkwardly got to his feet as well and pulled Harry close for a warm hug. "Have you had fun?"

Harry beamed at him, then at Remus. "I've had a great time! Thanks for inviting me out with you. I'm sorry for intruding on you on Valentine's day."

"Harry, you're not intruding," Remus said gently. He took his turn hugging him. "You know we love having you with us."

"Yeah, I know. I'll see you soon, okay?"

A last smile, and Harry left the pub to walk back to school.

"Are you ready to go home too?" Remus asked.

Sirius looked at him strangely, cocking his head to one side and giving him a small, secret smile. "Yes," he said slowly. "Yes, I think I am." He slipped one arm around Remus's waist and brought the other up so he could toy with his hair. "Are you?"

Remus smiled too, and leaned forward so his lips were nearly touching his lover's. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were suggesting something."

"Fuck knowing better! I'm not suggesting anything, I'm flat-out TELLING you. Remus, I want to go home, and when we're there, I want to go to bed. And when we're THERE..."

"Yes...?"

"I'll tell you later."

"Tease."

"Heh. No teasing. You're gonna get it."

"Then what are we waiting for? Come on, let's ask Rosie if we can use the Floo."

"No, let's walk."

"But your ankle..."

"It's fine. I have you and the crutch to lean on and the alcohol to deaden the pain. It's too nice a night to Floo home. It's not very far anyway."

"Okay, if you're sure."

"I am."

~+~

"I'm cold," Sirius grumbled.

Remus rolled his eyes. "I said we should go home by Floo, but oh NO, you wanted to walk home, on your broken leg, in Scotland, in February, in the snow, like an overgrown bloody CHILD!"

"There's no need to have a fit! I just said I was cold! And can we slow down a bit, please?"

Remus took pity on him, and stopped completely. "I'm sorry for snapping. Do you want to risk Apparating?"

"Probably a bad idea. You know how dangerous it could be, with all this medical magic going on."

Remus just nodded silently, but he noticed that Sirius's limp was getting more pronounced each time he set his injured foot onto the crisp snow. He said nothing for as long as he could bear it. Sirius despised being pitied.

But it got worse, and still he didn't complain. He just began breathing deeper, like Remus himself did when the first twinge of his transformation's pains started on moonlit nights.

"Sirius, stop," Remus said eventually.

Sirius shook his head. His teeth were clenched tightly. "I'm fine. Come on, we'll be home in ten minutes."

"You can't go on like this. You'll just damage yourself more."

"I said I'm fine!" he snapped.

"You are NOT fine! Why are you trying to be so brave? Are you trying to prove something?"

"Look, Remus..." Sirius began walking again. His brow was creased against the pain. "I am fine. It doesn't even hurt that badly. It's just aching a bit more than usual because it's so cold."

"Don't lie to me. Why don't we just stop and rest for a little while, then we can go back to the pub and use the Floo."

"No!"

"But..."

"Would you stop NAGGING at me like you were my fucking mother!" Sirius snapped.

"I was thinking about YOU! You're being unreasonable."

"Okay, you want the truth? IT HURTS! It hurts like hell. It's making me want to cry. I can hardly bear it. But I'm not going to let it beat me!"

"You've broken you ankle, you idiot! It's not as if you're being weak because you're a coward. There's nothing we can do about it. Why don't you stop behaving like a stupid arse and make things easier for yourself?"

"Because it's a nice night and I want to walk."

"You are the most stubborn man I've ever had the misfortune to meet."

"Aw, fuck off."

Remus shrugged his shoulders and stepped away, leaving Sirius to lean even more heavily on his crutch. "All right. Well, I'm Apparating."

"No, wait!" Sirius said quickly. He grabbed onto Remus's arm again. "I'm sorry, please don't."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Remind me why I'm in love with you, because sometimes I just don't know."

"Eh. I don't know either," Sirius said carelessly, as he took a step forward and slid one hand into the back pocket of Remus's jeans. "Because I'm gorgeous and funny and wonderful?"

Remus kissed his cheek. "And stubborn and petulant and foul-mouthed."

"Ha. You wish... Hey, hey, watch the leg!" Sirius protested, as he suddenly found himself pinned up against the wall of Gladrags by his very persistent lover. It was a feeble protest, though; even as he spoke, he was removing his hand from Remus's pocket, reaching it around to undo the zip and stroke him to full hardness.

Remus ran his hands through Sirius's long hair, holding him tightly and kissing his lips with a fiery ferocity. Tongues met and tangled, hot and wet and needy, and Remus gasped into Sirius's mouth as the cold air and hot hand on his cock made his whole body shiver.

"This seemed like the best way to shut you up," he said, breaking off the kiss just long enough to speak the words before taking it up again, hotter and more frantic than before. He reached his hands up between their bodies and began to unbutton Sirius's shirt, then gave up and decided to skip the prologue and go right to the interesting bit. Moments later, Sirius's trousers were around his ankles, and Remus was on his knees.

"Bloody hell, it's cold," he muttered.

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed," Sirius said, aiming for sarcasm but just sounding impatient. He caressed Remus's cheek, ran his fingers over the kiss-wet lips. Remus took a finger into his mouth and began to suck it suggestively, dancing his tongue around the tip and moving his lips up and down before pushing the hand away in favour of the erection that was straining behind the fabric of Sirius's shorts.

"It's far too cold to be fucking in the street," Sirius said. His breaths were coming hard and fact, and his breath gathered in clouds in front of his mouth. He held on tight to Remus's head with one hand, making no actual attempt to stop his lover's movements. "We're not seventeen any more, and it's not summer."

Remus mumbled something vaguely resembling an agreement.

"Remus, Apparate," Sirius gasped. "Risk it. I'm gonna come, I don't want to come in the street outside a clothes shop, it's too kinky and I'm too old."

Remus's eyes were shining with mirth as he glanced up. "Oh, really?" he said. The words were muffled; he was still teasing the tip of Sirius's cock with his lips and tongue as he spoke. "What if I splinch us?"

"Just do it!"

A sudden whoosh of frosty air, and then they were lying on their bed in a tangle of limbs and Sirius was crying Remus's name as he filled his hungry mouth with his hot release.

A long silence.

"Sirius?"

"Mmm?"

"I'm cold."

~END~


End file.
